3xG: Environmental and health research around Dessel, Mol and Retie
How dangerous are the harmful substances in our environment? To answer that question, the researchers of 3xG compile data from around 300 children from Dessel, Mol and Retie (municipalities in Flanders). The goal of this health research is to gain greater insight into factors that determine our health in terms of environment and lifestyle.
Monitoring exposure to harmful substances
Low- and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste has been stored in Dessel for decades. We do that on behalf of NIRAS (National institute for radioactive waste and enriched fissile materials) and the partnerships STORA (Dessel) and MONA (Mol).
One of the conditions for accepting that storage was continuous health monitoring of the region. That is how the project 3xG came about in 2010. 3xG stands for Gezondheid (Health), Gemeenten (Municipalities) and Geboorten (Births).
Our health research tracks around 300 children from Mol, Dessel and Retie. The research follows the children from before birth until the age of 18. Additionally, the project studies the illness and death rates of the region.
Safeguarding the health of locals
The 3xG participants are basically a barometer for harmful substances in the area. Researchers map out the exposure to those substances and attempt to understand the effects they have on our health, as well as to what extent our lifestyle has a part to play in that.
Compiling data:
- Through humane biomonitoring. We track the development of the children by measuring certain substances in their bodies (i.e. blood and urine samples). That allows us to collect unique information about their health and safeguard the health of all locals in the area.
- Through processing existing illness and death registers. With the help of this data, we can see if the numbers for the area are in line with the general Flemish data. That allows us to monitor whether certain diseases or deaths are more common in the area than in the rest of Flanders.
The analyses are carried out again every five years.
